Four of the five siblings in the Surani family are on the front line every day battling COVID-19.
Two brothers, Warrant Officer (WO) Firdaus, 37, and Sergeant Faiz, 27, serve in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Sister Fazlina, 36, is a nurse clinician with Tan Tock Seng Hospital, while another sister Sakinah, 29, is a staff sergeant and a ground response officer with the Singapore Police Force.
Sergeant Faiz, who has been with the SCDF for four years, is a paramedic who responds to medical emergencies and provides pre-hospital care to patients.
Although not much has changed since the outbreak, he said he is now required to wear full personal protective equipment for all calls.
As an operations centre specialist, WO Firdaus is the first point of contact for members of the public when they call SCDF emergency hotline 995. He elicits information needed to determine an appropriate response, or prioritising the order of treatment, for suspected COVID-19 patients. He has been with the SCDF for 15 years.
As operations centre staff communicate with emergency responders on the ground, the brothers occasionally cross paths while working. “It is heart-warming when I get to hear Firdaus’ voice at the end of the phone line or on the air,” said Sergeant Faiz.
WO Firdaus shares his brother’s sentiment, adding: “We have to be professional, but it is nice to know that he is there doing his part in the force.”
The siblings are close-knit, and used to arrange to meet for meals when their work shifts permitted, said Ms Fazlina.
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Source: The Straits Times, 11 April 2020